Well, if we’re going to ask a woman about marketing to women, maybe we should check in with the Gen Y crowd when discussing “millennials” and beer. Both what they say, and what they will do.
Exhibit #1: Swordboarder’s comment the other day. He uses the word “they” but he’s the same age as Sierra Nevada Brewing. Sierra Nevada is Gen Y.
Exhibit #2: Steve at Summer of Beer, 26 and a grad student, heads off in pursuit of Deschutes The Abyss.
In case you don’t know, Abyss has been the “extreme beer” du Jour, particularly in Oregon.
Version 1.0, released last year, won all kinds of awards, and even deserved to. An 11% abv imperial stout, v2.0 it was aged in French oak, pinot noir and bourbon barrels since March. It’s got “extreme” written all over it.
Steve begins, “Conceding that it will not make its way into the Inland Valley, I am about to embark on a journey to the find Deschutes The Abyss.”
Along the way he might pick up a case of Olympia for his dad.
It’s a short trip, with a happy ending.
🙂
Unfortunately I fall into the same pattern as the rest of my generation; I think of myself as different from the rest of them. I’m a unique snowflake, just like everyone else.
The funny part about the story was it completely fit us. Going out of the way for something unique is part of the journey. They would have paid an arm and a leg for said experience as well, Abyss on tap.
A friend has mentioned to me that we should go in on a bottle of Utopia when we get the chance. One time experience, can you put a price tag on that?
Interesting note, our eyes and ears have been stimulated by television & music, questionably overstimulated. We want to do the same thing with our other senses.
“…Sierra Nevada is Gen Y…”
Not a chance. That firm is boomer all the way as are most involved with running craft brewing, if one goes by the birthday photos at Jay’s place.
And thanks for skipping Gen X. Typical.
😉
I meant the brewery itself, Alan, not the people who work there ;>)
I do think that Ken Grossman picks up an advantage having two of his children work at the brewery.
Hmm…I think this may be boomer protecting boomer now. Great! A new conspiracy theory to hug: A boomer cartel controlling craft brewing.
And to think many of us Gen Y crowd are paying so much for a handful of beers. For instance…. $90 for a 6 pack of Lost Abbey Red Poppy, or the $70 I dropped last night on 6 Abyss. And you better believe that a large majority of the patrons forming that line at Lost Abbey in the morning are between 21-28’ish. At first it makes you think you are crazy and there’s more you should be doing with your money. Then when the right time comes to crack one of these amazing beers open you realize there’s not (up to a point obviously).
Abyss is an outstanding barrel aged beer. Deschutes’ COO sat behind me at my class at Siebel, and he brought a bottle or two with him. But this “Gen Yer” doesn’t have $90 to spend on any 6-pack. Maybe Tommee will have some behind the booth at GABF this year.